June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Europe’s manufacturing and service industries contracted at a slower pace in June, adding to signs the recession is bottoming out. A composite index of both industries for the 16 euro nations rose to 44.4 from 44 in May. The index is based on a survey of purchasing managers by Markit Economics and a reading below 50 indicates a contraction. Economists forecast an increase to 44.9, according to the median of 12 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The European economy is showing signs of stabilization after shrinking at the fastest pace in at least 15 years in the first quarter. In Germany, the region’s largest economy, business confidence rose for a third month in June and consumer sentiment gained for a second month. European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said this month that the worst of the recession may be past after the ECB cut interest rates to a record low and pledged to buy covered bonds to fight the crisis. “It’s a rebound not a recovery,” said Sylvain Broyer, chief euro-region economist at Natixis in Frankfurt. “We have positive signs for global trade, but they’re still very, very fragile. We may only return to above 50 by the end of 2009.” Markit’s manufacturing index rose to 42.4 this month from40.7 in May, today’s report showed. The services index fell to44.5 from 44.8.

The Existing Home Sales report for May should bring good news -- relatively speaking. Economists are forecasting sales at an annualized rate of 4.82 million units, which would mark a 3.0% increase from April and would be the highest level since October. Conditions were ideal for home sales in May, with the major exception of course of the rising unemployment rate. Much has been made of the jump in mortgage rates of late standing as a deterrent for the housing market. That factor, however, shouldn't register as much until July considering mortgage rates didn't spike past 5.00% until the last week of May and through the first half of June. Rates were very attractive in April (avg. 4.70% for 30-year fixed) when prospective homeowners were presumably locking them in for May purchases. With depressed rates, depressed prices, the $8,000 tax credit, and an ample supply of distressed sellers then, we suspect the market's thinking is that this report carries more potential to surprise on the upside than the downside. A negative surprise would be disappointing in its own right, but even more so with the presumption that purchase activity in future months will be slowed by the higher mortgage rates.

Ja BAC-ilt pakkumine:Bank of America (BAC) announces the common stock average price of $12.7048 for its offers to exchange up to 200 mln shares of common stock for outstanding depositary shares. Eilne sulgemishind $11.94.

The 2-year Treasury auction was one of the best on the books. The bid-to-cover ratio (the number of bids submitted relative to what was on offer, and a proxy for overall demand) came in at robust 3.19 and the highest in almost two years. Even better was that fully 69% of the offering went to indirect bidders (proxy for foreign appetite) and this was the highest on record! This suggests all of the talk from foreign heads of state suggesting that US assets are being pared is just that... talk. The facts on the ground suggest that US paper is still in huge demand as investors seek out a safe haven steady income stream in uncertain times. EUR/USD has come off the highs since taking out stops above 1.41 here as a result. The 5-year and 7-year auctions are due in the next couple of days and should they come in relatively strong, we could be poised for a USD reversal higher here.